Effusive Atomic Oven Nozzle Design Using an Aligned Microcapillary Array

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective, microcapillary array-based effusive oven nozzle that enhances atomic beam collimation and longevity, demonstrated with a lithium source for trapped-atom experiments.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, simple design for an effusive oven nozzle using aligned microcapillaries, improving atomic beam quality and extending oven lifetime.

Findings

Atomic lithium beam flux of 1.2×10^{14} atoms/sec at 525°C

Peak beam intensity exceeds 5.0×10^{16} atoms/sec/steradian

Oven lifetime estimated to be several decades

Abstract

We present a simple and inexpensive design for a multichannel effusive oven nozzle which provides improved atomic beam collimation and thus extended oven lifetimes. Using this design we demonstrate an atomic lithium source suitable for trapped-atom experiments. At a nozzle temperature of 525$^{\circ}$C the collimated atomic beam flux directly after the nozzle is $1.2 \times 10^{14}$ atoms per second with a peak beam intensity greater than $5.0 \times 10^{16}$ atoms per second per steradian. This suggests an oven lifetime of several decades of continuous operation.